1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power-supply device for constantly feeding electric power to a sliding door, a sliding seat of a vehicle or the like by a substantially U-shaped wire harness expanded and contracted with a movement of a slider in a case.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of a conventional power-supply device 61 disclosed in FIG. 2 of Japanese Published Patent Document H11-342807.
This power-supply device 61 is used for a sliding door of a vehicle, and includes: a long case 63 for receiving a substantially U-shaped flat wire harness 62; a resilient reinforcing plate 64 mounted on an outer wall of the wire harness 62; a slider 65 disposed on a movable end of the wire harness 62; and a guide rail 66 engaging slidably with the slider 65.
The movable end of the wire harness 62 is connected to a connector of a wire harness 68 extending to a vehicle body through the slider 65. A fixed end of the wire harness 62 is connected to a wire harness 69 extending to a sliding door.
While the slider 65 is slid forward and backward along the guide rail 66 corresponding to opening and closing of the sliding door, the wire harness 62 is kept in the substantial U-shape, and expanded or contracted integrally with the slider 65 to absorb a stroke between opening and closing of the sliding door. Thus, electric power and signals are constantly fed from the vehicle body to various auxiliaries disposed on the sliding door.
Another embodiment (not shown) of the conventional constant power-supply device for a sliding door is, for example, disclosed in FIG. 1 of Japanese Published Patent Document 2004-48977.
In an interior of a synthetic resin made substantially semicircular protector of the conventional power-supply device, a metallic flat spring urging a wire harness routed in a curve shape urging upward, the supporting member made of synthetic resin and fixed to the flat spring stably supporting the wire harness, and a spring piece mounted on the supporting member contacting an inner wall of the protector prevent a noise caused by a roll of a supporting member.
However, in the power-supply device 61 described in Japanese Published Patent Document H11-342807, because the slider 65 has no noise protection mechanism, when the sliding door is fully opened, a vibration of a moving vehicle or a vibration of an engine of a stopping vehicle may produce resonance of the slider 65, so that the slider may rattle with the guide rail 66 of the case 63 to make a noise, and that the slider 65, the guide rail 66, and the like may be abraded. Particularly, when the synthetic resin made case 63 is molded relatively large, owing to a variation of size of the molded case 63, the case 63 may rattle harder with the slider 65 to increase the noise and the abrasion.
Further, when the sliding door is opened or closed and the slider 65 is moved along the guide rail 66, the rattle may cause the abrasion, and make a larger noise. Further, before the power-supply device 61 is mounted on a vehicle, the slider 65 may move freely depending on an attitude and a form of packaging of the transported power-supply device 61. Thereby, a troublesome work to return the slider 65 to a predetermined position may be generated.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a power-supply device for preventing noise and abrasion caused by a rattle generated when a slider is moved and stopped, and regulating an unnecessary movement of the slider before the power-supply device is mounted.